Davis, Nitros finish on high note

Track and field: Glendale High sprinter performs well in 100-, 200-meter events at Mt. SAC, helps team to relay win.

April 21, 2012|By Andrew J. Campa

WALNUT — Among the locals who competed at Saturday's 54th annual Mt. San Antonio College Relays from Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, Crescenta Valley High and Glendale, the Nitros' Michael Davis may have stood tallest.

The multi-sport star competed in three competitions, highlighted by his entry in the invitational 100- and 200-meter dashes, as well as his role in the only local win of the night.

The lone local victory came in the second-to-last race of the evening, courtesy of the Glendale boys' 1600-meter relay team.

The Nitros, who weren't even listed in the media guide, stormed to a win in the second heat of the open 1,600 relay in a time of 3 minutes 27.44 seconds.

Glendale's time was third best overall, behind Chino Hills (3:25.65) and Long Beach Jordan(3:26.04).

Davis' top individual effort came in the 200, which he ran last and sprinted to fourth place in a time of 21.74 seconds.

"I'm just trying to get better times," Davis said. "That's always the goal."

Davis was within less than half a second of race-winner Khalfani Muhammad (21.32) of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.

Muhammad proved a nemisis earlier in Davis' second event, the invitational 100, where Davis was consistent in running to a fifth-place mark of 10.79 in a race won by Muhammad (10.55).

Davis' mark matched his previous best time set two weeks earlier at the Arcadia Invitational.

"The heat didn't really affect me, I just wasn't ready for the [race] speed," said Davis, who ran in 90 degree-heat. "I just have to run full speed and not think as much."

Part of Davis' busy day included guiding the Nitros to a second-place finish in the fifth heat of the open 400 relay.

Davis, along with Massin, Navarro and Pacba, raced to a mark of 43.81, which trailed only Elk Grove Franklin (43.53).

Overall, the Nitros were sixth and won the local dual with Crescenta Valley's four of Byung Kim, David Lee, Steve Lee and Christ Ordookhanian, who finished sixth in their heat (47.05) and 44th overall.

Earning a medal at Mt. SAC is no small accomplishment and Glendale's Sophia Amodia was aware of that.

The Nitros' hurdler earned two bronzes, the first coming when she finished third in her first heat of the girls' seeded 300 hurdles with a time of 44.98, which was sixth overall.